Metabolic Alterations driven by PFKFB3 upregulation confer Resistance to Trastuzumab in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

Aims

Resistance to anti-HER2 therapies, particularly trastuzumab, remains a major obstacle in the treatment of HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer. This study aims to uncover novel mechanisms driving trastuzumab resistance with a focus on the immune component, key mediator of trastuzumab efficacy.

Methods

We developed an isogenic cell line-derived xenograft model to perform transcriptome-wide analyses of trastuzumab-sensitive and -resistant tumors. To validate key findings, we employed a 3D cancer–immune co-culture system capable of quantifying antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC).

Results

Transcriptomic profiling revealed how trastuzumab treatment shifts tumor transcriptomes, including changes that remodel the metabolic landscape and distinct gene signatures associated with resistance, notably the upregulation of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3). Functional studies demonstrated that PFKFB3 promotes trastuzumab resistance by inducing metabolic rewiring and reducing ADCC. Silencing PFKFB3 restored immune-mediated cytotoxicity. Clinical dataset analyses confirmed that elevated PFKFB3 expression correlates with reduced overall and progression-free survival, and with incomplete pathological response to trastuzumab.

Conclusions

PFKFB3 upregulation drives metabolic adaptations that confer resistance to trastuzumab in HER2+ breast cancer. These findings highlight PFKFB3 as a promising therapeutic target to overcome resistance and improve patient outcomes.

Highlights

• PFKFB3 upregulation promotes trastuzumab resistance in HER2+ breast cancer.

• Transcriptomic profiling reveals metabolic shifts linked to resistance.

• Silencing PFKFB3 restores ADCC and sensitizes cancer cells to trastuzumab.

• High PFKFB3 expression correlates with poor survival and treatment response.

• PFKFB3 is a potential therapeutic target to overcome trastuzumab resistance.